The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-04-30

nifed ride on the elevated road, been
knocked down by truck horse and mar
rowly escaped falling OF pier.
At four o'clock he struggled up Frankfort
street for the second time that day, but
now he had firm hold Of his mothers skirt.
The human tide had turned the other way
and was surging up and down by this time.
but Corkey's mother breasted IL bravely,
while the cripple hoped on in her wake
whistling like q lark. Into the pushing,
bowling and clawing mob Of women and
children around the delivery window OF one
OF the evening newspaper offices the mother
and son sailed courageously. All the news
boys Of lower New York were there fight
ing for precedence. In the window selling
the papers was young man with cigar in
his mouth and q cold, calm eye. He ad-
dressed his customers with great familiar
| ity, never prefixing Mrs. to the names Of the
women, and counting his papers with won
derful rapidity. No one could get the papers
| out OF his hands before the money passed
| into them. He had q clear cut, refined and
handsome face.
For n time Corlsey amused himself by
putting small stones on the car tracks, and
then he fell to building house Of chips in
the gutter, as unconscious Of the hum and
rumble and roar around him as though
alone on Manhattan Island.
| The hours went by. The boy grew tired
Of the gutter and followed the lamplighter
down Beekman street till he came to the
/ river After two or three rebuffs he stole
under truck at Fulton ferry and went
across on the boat several times.
When he was put ashore again on the
New York side. Corkey went whistling up
Fulton street till he suddenly ran across
big boy who was sitting in a doorway and
staring morosely at his toes. Corkey ap-
preached him softly-for the boy was Of
Importance, having once been in the house
| OF correction, and said.
"Wanter go to the tee-ayter, Chimmiew
"What ona" said Jimmie, laconically.
II got nun"
"Yaas " have" increduously.
"Well, tell " have"
"Well, dom 1 say " have!" asked jim
mie in conciliatory way. Then in q more
business-like tone "lemme see it,"
Corkcy gave him all his money, and with.
in half an hour they were slowed away
fifty feet up in the air with hundreds Of
other boys looking down at Bowery vari
ETY. show. 1t was a short dream to Corkey
The curtain fell at eleven o'clock, and thR
little cripple was pushed and borne in the
wild mob down the black and dangerous
stairway to the street, where he fell on his
knees against the door-post, faint, bruised,
breathless and in tears But he struggled
up and clutched his companion just as that
amiable youth was striding away.
"Hullo, Maloney," he said quietly, as
Corkey's mother fought her way toward
him. "How many to-days"
'sThirty.s .sivin, may tn Lord luv We, Mis-
ther Alfred"
81 hear, Maloney," said the young man
calmly, as he whisked the papers to her,
"that McGrath threatens to kick the head
off Of you this evening at the bridge"
"She does, does she2" screamed the
woman wildly, but before she could say
J more the crowd threw her aside, and the
man in the window turned his imperturb-
able face toward the next customer.
Corkey was still clinging to the stalwart
woman's skirts as she emerged from the
} crowd to catch her breath.
"Are yez gon' to lick Mrs. McGrath.
midderl" he asked gleefully, looking up at
her.
"Howld yer jaw"
"Cause she said y wuz an Irish guy"
ga guy, is it'"
''Shure," said Corkey, solemnly, and
: without any outward indication that he was
lying, 81 heard her say it mesel!"
Mrs. Maloney bit her lip but she was
obliged to postpone her revenge and go
sturdily to work selling her papers and ut.
tering an objurgation on the head OF the
hated McGrath with every breath.
'Don' take all me money, Chimmie" he
J sobbed sine legs hurted so bad kin never
walk T. d. bridge"
The other boy drew back his SCARED fist
and, without word, struck the cripple in
the face, sending him reeling helplessly
r against post, whence he fell into the
. gutter and lay there, sobbing bitterly.
3 No one cared. 1t was street arab in
3 trouble; nothing more. The boys hands
We're clasped over his eyes.
} There was noise further up the street,
> louder than the din Of the elevated road and
the incessant jangle of the surface cars.
Above the Gathering of irOn-shod hoofs
l could be heard the clang of gong. The
, child glanced up affrightedly toward the
} fire engine that was laundering down on
him, scrambled to his feet, tottered blindly
about for an instant, and fell in the path OF
= the plum ging horses with his clenched hands
} outstretched for mercy and the white face
turned upward. There were hoarse shouts
from dozen throats and the shrill scream
of a woman rent the air. The driver threw
} himself back and strained at the reins as
the horses rose in the air, but the rush was
too great and the huge engine passed over
the crippled boy and crushed out the last
J spark of life.
So ended the last day in the life of a child
of the slums Of New York.-Bldkely W.
Hall, in ". Y Nail and Express.
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II SUBMISSION OF WIVES.